Gopher Golf Club Cover

Cover measures 13½” tall.

MATERIALS:

• RED HEART® “Super Saver®”: 1 skein each 360 Café A, 334 Buff B.
• Crochet Hooks: 4.25mm [US G-6] for gopher head; 5mm [US H-8] for gopher body and inner sock; 5.5mm [US I-9] for inner sock to fit larger size club (460 cc).
• Yarn needle, stitch marker, 10mm safety eyes, black embroidery floss for nose, stuffing.

GAUGE:24 sts = 4”; 20 rows = 4” in single crochet using smallest hook.

Special Stitch
sc2tog = [draw up a loop in next st] twice, yarn over and draw through all 3 loops on hook.

Special Technique
adjustable ring = Holding the yarn a few inches from the end, wrap around your finger. Do not remove wrap from finger, insert hook into the wrap and draw up a loop of working yarn. Chain one to secure the loop, and remove ring from finger. Work stitches of first round in the ring. Pull gently, but firmly, on tail to tighten ring.

NOTES:

1. Cover is designed to fit most larger size drivers, including the 460 cc. The inner ribbed sock allows gopher to fit securely over the club. Increase or decrease rib rows of inner sock, as needed, for A custom fit.
2. Pieces of cover are worked in continuous rounds. Do not join and do not turn at the end of rounds.
3. Pieces of cover are worked separately and sewn together using yarn tails.
4. Smallest hook is used for head of gopher, to ensure that stuffing will not show through stitches. Middle size hook is used for body of gopher and inner sock, to provide additional stretch. Largest hook is used for inner sock to fit larger (460 cc) club.
5. To change color, work last stitch of old color to last yarn over, yarn over with new color and draw through all loops on hook to complete stitch. Fasten off old color. Proceed with new color.

Pattern

Nose Blaze
With smallest hook and A, ch 5.
Row 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each remaining ch across, turn—4 sc.
Row 2: Ch 1, skip first sc, sc in next sc, skip next sc, sc in last sc, turn—2 sc.
Rows 3–7: Ch 1, sc in each sc across, turn.
Row 8: Slip st in each st across. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Head
With smallest hook and A, make an adjustable ring.
Round 1: Work 6 sc in ring—6 sc. Place marker for beginning of round, move marker up as work progresses.
Round 2: Work 2 sc in each sc around—12 sc.
Round 3: [2 sc in next sc, sc in next sc] 6 times—18 sc.
Round 4: [2 sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc] 6 times—24 sc.
Round 5: [2 sc in next sc, sc in next 3 sc] 6 times—30 sc.
Rounds 6–8: Sc in each sc around; change to B in last sc of Round 8. Fasten off A.
Note: In the following 8 rounds, no increases are worked in the first 3 sc. This flat area is for the nose blaze. You may wish to put a stitch marker in this flat area for later reference.
Round 9: With B, sc in each sc around.
Round 10: Sc in next 3 sc, [2 sc in next sc, sc in next sc] 13 times, 2 sc in next sc—44 sc.
Round 11: [Sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 11 times—55 sc.
Round 12: Sc in next 3 sc, [2 sc in next sc, sc in next 4 sc] 10 times, 2 sc in next sc, sc in last sc—66 sc.
Rounds 13–15: Sc in each sc around.
Round 16: Sc in next 3 sc, [sc2tog, sc in next 2 sc] 15, sc2tog, sc in next sc—50 sc.
Round 17: [Sc2tog, sc in next 3 sc] 10 times—40 sc.
Round 18: [Sc2tog, sc in next 2 sc] 10 times—30 sc.
Round 19: [Sc2tog, sc in next 3 sc] 6 times—24 sc.
Round 20: [Sc2tog, sc in next 2 sc] 6 times; change to A in last sc—18 sc.
Change to middle size hook.
Round 21: With A, working loosely, sc in each sc around.
Attach nose blaze and safety eyes: Beginning with color change round (Round 9), pin nose blaze with wider row at top (Round 9), to the flat 3-sc area at the beginning of Rounds 9–16. Sew nose blaze in place and weave in end. Attach safety eyes, one on each side of top of nose blaze, as pictured. Stuff head firmly. Change back to smallest hook.
Round 22: Working in back loops only, sc in each sc around.
Round 23: [Sc2tog, sc in next sc] 6 times—12 sc. Continue to stuff head firmly as work proceeds.
Round 24: [Sc2tog] 6 times—6 sc. Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Remove beginning of round marker. Weave tail through stitches of last round and pull to close opening. Secure and weave in end.

Sculpt Eye Area: With needle and a long piece of A, insert needle through bottom of head and bring out on inside (nose side) of left eye. Bring yarn across and insert back into head at inside of right eye. Pull needle back through bottom of head. Pull gently on both ends of yarn, to form a small gather in head between the eyes, and tie ends together. Repeat this process once more.

Body
Round 1: With middle size hook and working in unworked front loops of Round 21 of head, draw up a loop of A in any sc, ch 1, sc in same sc and in each sc around—18 sc. Place marker for beginning of round, move marker up as work progresses.
Round 2: [2 sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc] 6 times—24 sc.
Round 3: [2 sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc] 8 times—32 sc.
Round 4: [2 sc in next sc, sc in next sc] 16 times—48 sc.
Round 5: [2 sc in next sc, sc in next 15 sc] 3 times—51 sc.
Rounds 6 and 7: Sc in each sc around.
Round 8: [Sc in next 4 sc, 2 sc in next sc] 10 times, sc in last sc—61 sc.
Rounds 9–30: Sc in each sc around.
Round 31: [Sc in next 4 sc, sc2tog] 10 times, sc in last sc—51 sc.
Rounds 32–36: Sc in each sc around.
Fasten off.

Ears (Make 2)
With smallest hook and A, ch 6; join with slip st in first ch to form a ring.
Round 1: Ch 1, 8 sc in ring; do not join—8 sc. Place marker for beginning of round, move marker up as work progresses.
Round 2: Sc in next sc, sc2tog, sc in last 5 sc—7 sc.
Round 3: Sc in next 3 sc, sc2tog, sc in last 2 sc—6 sc.
Round 4: [Sc2tog] 3 times—3 sc.
Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Weave tail through stitches of last round and pull to close opening. Use remaining tails to sew one ear to each side of head.

Arms (Make 2)
With middle size hook and A, ch 7; join with slip st in first ch to form a ring.
Round 1: Ch 1, 9 sc in ring; do not join—9 sc. Place marker for beginning of round, move marker up as work progresses.
Round 2: Sc in each sc around.
Round 3: [2 sc in next sc, sc in next 3 sc] 2 times, 2 sc in last sc—12 sc.
Rounds 4–12: Sc in each sc around.
Round 13: [Sc2tog, sc in next 3 sc] 2 times, sc2tog—9 sc.
Round 14: Sc2tog, sc in next 3 sc, sc2tog, sc in last 2 sc—7 sc.
Round 15: Work 2 sc in each sc around—14 sc.
Round 16: Sc in each sc around.
Round 17: [Sc2tog, sc in next 5 sc] 2 times—12 sc.
Round 18: Sc in each sc around.
Round 19: [Sc2tog] 6 times—6 sc.
Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Weave tail through stitches of last round and pull to close opening. Stuff firmly. Leave remaining tail for sewing arm to side of body.

Inner Sock
Note: If making cover to fit 460 cc club, use largest hook. Otherwise, use middle size hook.
With A, ch 31.
Row 1: Working in back loops only, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn—30 sc.
Rows 2–30: Working in back loops only, sc in each sc across. Fold piece in half, bringing last row to meet foundation ch.
Seaming Row: Working through both thicknesses, slip st across to seam sides and form a tube.
Fasten off, leaving a long tail. Thread tail through ends of row around one end of tube, pull to gather and close opening. Leave remaining tail for sewing sock inside body of gopher.

FINISHING
Turn body inside out. With yarn tail, sew inner sock to body of gopher, just under the head. Weave in end. Turn right
side out. Pin arms to sides of upper portion of body, as in photo.
With yarn tails, sew arms in place. Weave in ends.
With black embroidery floss, and using photograph as a guide, embroider straight st nose at end of nose blaze.

ABBREVIATIONS:
A and B = Color A and B
ch = chain
sc = single crochet
st(s) = stitch(es)
[ ] = work directions in brackets the number of times specified.

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